During a session, select the Pods menu and then select Custom Pods.
Last updated on
Feb 26, 2025
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Learn about accessing custom pods in the Adobe Connect sessions.
Custom pods in Adobe Connect are third-party apps that extend the capabilities of a virtual meeting room. Custom pods offer enhanced interactivity and the ability to meet specific needs that standard pods may not address. They improve engagement and provide specialized tools for various scenarios.
Set up Custom pods
Prerequisites for Custom pod setup
Adobe Connect Central allows or disallows adding Custom pods in a session. This is managed by selecting or deselecting the option Enable Custom Pods in Adobe Connect Central. If the option is disabled, hosts cannot upload pod files or use the marketplace to add pods.
For on-premises users
On-prem users will not have access to third-party custom pods hosted on Adobe's servers. These users will need to maintain their own repository of custom pods and use the existing workflow to upload them.
How to add a custom pod
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Select New custom pod to launch the Custom Pod marketplace and browse available custom pods without leaving the room.
Note:Only hosts can add custom pods to rooms. Participants and presenters do not have the ability to change room layouts or add custom pods.
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Search for any custom pod if the pod doesn’t feature in the marketplace. You can only search for a custom pod, which is available in the marketplace. For all other custom pods, select Explore all custom pods. This will take you to the marketplace on adobe.com.
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From the list of custom pods, select any pod to view its details. The following is available for each custom pod:
- Compatibility with previous Connect versions.
- Version, size, and publish date.
- Description of the Custom pod
- Release history of the Custom pod
Each custom pod has a version number. Connect checks the version of the custom pod currently uploaded in the room against the latest version available on the server. If there is a difference in version, a notification is shown to the host indicating that an update is available. You can update custom pods directly within the room by clicking on the update notification. This brings up a dialog with the new version details and a "What's New" section. You can then confirm the update, which will be applied to the existing share pod.
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Select any Custom pod to add to the session. For example, select + on the Countdown timer pod to add it to the session.
Select the Countdown Timer custom pod. Select the Countdown Timer custom pod. -
A confirmation dialog with legal guidelines and privacy policies is shown before the custom pod is added. Select Add to room.
The Custom pod is added to the room.
Rename the Custom pod
Double-click the pod title and type a new name for the custom pod.
Hide the custom pod
Select the Custom pod menu and select Hide pod.
This removes the custom pod from the visible area of the room. Note that the action doesn’t remove the custom pod. You can always bring it back later if needed.
Restore the custom pod
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Select the Pods menu.
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Select Custom Pods and then select the custom pod (for example, Countdown timer) you want to bring back from the dropdown list.
The pod now appears in the meeting room
Adjust the Custom pod's position
If necessary, you can resize and reposition the custom pod within the meeting room to fit your layout preferences. Drag the edges of the Custom pod to resize it.
Switch custom pods
Switching custom pods allows you to move from one custom pod to another within the same meeting room. This allows you to display different custom content or functionalities without having to close and reopen pods manually.
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Select the pod switcher icon on the custom pod.
Select the pod switcher to switch custom pods. Select the pod switcher to switch custom pods. -
From the drop-down list, select the custom pod you want to switch to. This will replace the current custom pod with the selected one.
Custom pod development and submission
Submit a custom pod
Developing and submitting a custom pod involves creating a custom application or plugin for Adobe Connect and then submitting it for review and approval.
To submit a custom pod for Adobe Connect, follow these steps:
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Develop your custom pod using the Adobe Connect SDK. Ensure it is packaged correctly.
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Once the custom pod is developed, submit the pod on the Adobe Developer platform. List the pod with details such as the plugin name, subtitle, support email, help URL, and a description of the app.
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Submit the packaged application along with the metadata.
Review and approval of the custom pod
The submitted custom pod is reviewed by Adobe teams. They can either approve or reject the application based on their review. This process is like submitting applications to the App or Play store.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, the existing method of downloading a ZIP file and uploading it to a room remains supported for all users, including on-premises customers.
The marketplace feature is only available to hosts, as they have permission to manage and add custom pods to rooms.
No, a host will I will not receive a notification if a custom pod is removed from the marketplace. However, existing pods already added to rooms will continue to function unless explicitly disabled by the admin. The host can view the update details and apply the update directly to the room.
Yes, admins can allow or disallow specific custom pods using enhanced admin controls. Only allowed pods will appear in the marketplace for hosts. View the section Allow or disallow Custom pods for more information.
If the marketplace is unavailable, an error notification will be displayed to the host, and the pod will not be added. Users can retry the process once the issue is resolved.
On-premises users can continue using the ZIP file upload method to add custom pods, as the marketplace is not available for private network setups.
Yes, developers can create custom pods for internal use without submitting them to the marketplace. The ZIP file upload workflow supports these cases.
If custom pod installation fails, users will see a notification indicating the issue. They can retry the installation or contact support if the issue persists.
No, reverting to a previous version is not supported. Hosts can only update to the latest version available in the marketplace.
